Newham schools are among the key providers of support for families in need during the pandemic, but some are running short of basic foodstuffs for their food-banks.

School 21 in Stratford, for example, set up the School 21 Food Store during the first lockdown, giving students and their families access to essential food and supplies free of charge.

The school was in the headlines when Prince William and the Duchess of Cambridge paid a surprise visit on March 11 to show their support for teachers and students after Covid -19 lockdown measures were eased allowing schools to reopen.

The Royal couple talked with teachers about their work in coping with children’s mental health and wellbeing within the school community.

The stress and difficulties facing students and parents is also highlighted by the increasing use of the school’s Food Store which was set up a year ago.

“We have been running it ever since, with demand increasing daily,” said Cassie Cramer, in an appeal letter to supporters in March. She says the School 21 Food Store is an inclusive initiative, open to anyone in the school community where families can come without having to ‘prove’ their need and without judgement.

“Unfortunately we are now running very low on food and some families are having to go without,” she wrote. There is now an appeal to the wider School 21 community to donate to the Food Store.

People who wish to donate can do so online by going to https://lnkd.in/dvivGNY

To donate quote S21FOODBANK when it asks for a reference or invoice number and where it asks for the names of your children, enter N/A.

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